The Argosy — page 119: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

106 The White Witch. * But surely I have seen some women about ?” said she, smiling. “Oh, you don’t count them, surely?” rejoined he, with a quiver about the corners of his mouth as he saw that she understood him. ‘“ They, whom you saw to-day, can manage to drag on a poor existence here, because they don’t know of any of those things which make a woman’s life worth having. Look at their dress, for instance. Did you see one wearer to-day with even elementary notions on the subject ? They don’t understand what dress means, or the enormous differ- ence it makes not only to the wearers but to the beholders.” “Yes,” said Miss Dixon, gently, but with a gleam in her soft dark eyes as they steadily met his. ‘‘Not only can a well-chosen gown change a girl from an insignificant thing, not worth the trouble of looking at, into a rational creature; but it can also change a boor into a gentleman.” And as the tea-bell rang at that moment, she sprang up with more energy, but not with less grace, than he had yet seen in her, and was at the door before he had time to open it for her. Surely she must know, thought Godfrey—as he followed her with- out sign of stooping, so much was his dignity hurt—that she had offended him by that speech! As he walked after the little white figure, with its erect dark head and a certain haughtiness of carriage which he had not noticed before, along the hall towards the drawing- room, it seemed to him that not only did she know she had offended him, but that she absolutely had the effrontery not to care. Well, she would soon find out the extent of the mistake she had made; she would discover what madness it was, in one of those English country-houses she was so enthusiastic about, to offend the only man about the place on whom she could depend for escort and companionship. A boor, was he? Then a boor he would remain as far as she was concerned. So, having during tea done his best to mark his displeasure by devoting himself exclusively to Mrs. Mayne, he left the room without another look at the white cashmere: and when dinner-time came, he still maintained towards the young lady the frigidity which, as he had not at the time the wit to see, was much more flattering than indifference. He felt, in spite of himself, rather interested to know whether her pretty toilette that day had been a happy accident, such as a chance visit to Paris might even bring about in the costume of one of the ladies of the neighbourhood whom he so much despised. The first glance at her next morning, when he came down as usual when breakfast was nearly over, satisfied him on that point. The grey linen trimmed with coarse lace, and relieved at the throat by one tiny sprig of scarlet geranium, was as perfect in its way as the white cashmere of the day before. It was difficult to be indifferent to the wearer of such a gown, Godfrey felt ; but principle must be maintained: at any rate, the first advances towards reconciliation must come from the offender. GEomichbooks.co - -